Whether you want to alleviate stress, sharpen your brain, or boost overall happiness, here’s how moving your body can help. Here are 5 ways fitness can lead to a healthier and happier life overall.
1. Reduce stress. Rough day at the office? Take a walk or head to the gym for a quick workout. One of the most common mental benefits of exercise is stress relief.
2. Get more done. Feeling uninspired in the cubicle? The solution might be just a short walk or jog away. Research shows that workers who take time for exercise on a regular basis are more productive and have more energy than their more sedentary peers.
3. Improve self-confidence. On a very basic level, physical fitness can boost self-esteem and improve positive self-image. Regardless of weight, size, gender, or age, exercise can quickly elevate a person’s perception of his or her attractiveness, that is, self-worth!
4. Alleviate anxiety. The warm and fuzzy chemicals that are released during and after exercise can help people with anxiety disorders calm down. Hopping on the track or treadmill for some moderate-to-high intensity aerobic exercise (intervals, anyone?) can reduce anxiety sensitivity. And we thought intervals were just a good way to burn calories!
5. Fitness may lead to improved cognitive function. Young or old, the results are similar: Moderate exercise boosts memory and the ability to learn new things. A recent study showed that running sprints improved vocabulary retention among healthy adults!
Working out can have positive effects far beyond the gym and beach season! What inspires you to stay fit?
